by Melissa Haag
A sickening crunch cut off the man’s laugh as his chest moved oddly, almost as if inflating. I knew humpty dumpty would be ready to move again soon.
“You’re Blake’s,” he said. “But I told you, we’re going to leave you with nothing.”
Nothing. They’d meant to kill Carlos. And would probably come after Thomas, Emmitt, Luke...all of the men.
I stood, placed my foot on his chest, and pushed down hard. Whatever little boney bits that were trying to knit back together, collapsed again under my weight. The man rasped in pain.
“Don’t push me. You won’t like it if I lose my temper.” I lifted my foot. “Tell Blake he’s wasting his men. He’ll need every one of you when I get there.”
Carlos’ hand settled on my shoulder. I took it as a sign to go. Turning away from the idiot on the ground, I moved closer to Carlos and walked with him back to the SUV where Grey leaned, casually watching us. He was dressed, thankfully.
“You get to drive,” I said.
The SUV was still running, and Grey had Gabby’s phone in his hand.
“Everything okay with the rest?”
“Just fine,” he said, moving to the driver’s seat.
I opened the back door and stepped aside to motion Carlos in. I hadn’t looked at him since he’d let me cry. A gentle touch under my chin had me lifting my gaze to his.
“Sit with me.”
I nodded and waited for Carlos to ease himself in. Blood smeared across the back of the seat as he slid over. The sight of it worried me. I quickly got in and closed the door. Carlos sighed and leaned his head against the seat as he closed his eyes.
The touch of his fingers on my hand almost made me jump. Instead, I turned my hand so he could wrap his fingers around mine. He gave a gentle squeeze of reassurance a second before a faint rhythmic sound caught my attention. I looked down and saw blood dripping onto the seat from a bite on his arm. I wasn’t reassured.
The drive back took longer because Grey actually obeyed the speed limit. When we pulled into the parking lot, everyone still waited outside. I hopped out and worriedly turned to Carlos. He slid toward me and seemed to exit with more ease than when he’d entered.
Charlene gasped when she saw Carlos, and Thomas wrapped a comforting arm around her.
“He’ll be fine,” he said softly.
Fine? Carlos didn’t look fine. He had stopped bleeding, though.
“You two, go inside,” Thomas said, meeting my gaze. “Help him clean up. We’ll clean and load the car.”
I nodded and walked beside Carlos as he made his way to our room. The back of his shirt hung open in two flaps. Claw marks created jagged, bloody valleys in his skin, and my temper flared at the sight.
When he reached the door, he opened it and stood aside to let me in first. Courtesy over injuries. I would have said something snarky about that, but my voice wasn’t ready for snarky. It was still set on throat-closing worry.
Moving ahead of him, I went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. My thoughts raced to what I would need for Carlos’ wounds. I still had the first aid kits, but I didn’t think there was enough salve or bandages to take care of everything.
When I turned, Carlos stood right behind me. His shirt was gone along with his shoe and socks.
“Isabelle,” he said softly. “Stop.”
I looked up and met his gaze.
“Stop what?”
“Worrying.” He kissed my forehead, then stood to the side, obviously wanting me to leave.
I hesitated, looking at the open wounds, drying blood, and coloring skin.
“Call me if you need anything,” I said, lingering at the door.
“I will.”
I closed the door then went to sit on the bed. Someone knocked on our door, but I ignored it. I couldn’t deal with anything else. Not right now. My chest hurt just as much as my hands. And though my gaze was trained on my hands, I didn’t see the dirty, bloody knuckles. Instead, my mind brought back the images of the blood smeared on the seat, the bite marks on Carlos’ arms, and, finally, the hole in Ethan’s middle. Life’s fragility hit me hard.
Never had I felt so vulnerable than right then. My gift, the way people always seemed to like me, the way I always managed to come out on top, had given me a sense of invincibility that I’d never recognized. My hands shook harder.
I could die. Everyone around me could die. And why? Because we were trying to stop some guy from a power trip. Who cared? Let Blake have his power. This Judgement business was probably a line of bull anyway. Yet, deep down, I knew that was a lie. It wasn’t bull, and we couldn’t let Blake have any power. He was a killer.
The water turned off in the bathroom, and I stood to get the first aid kits. One had an icepack, which I cracked and shook. It cooled in my hand as I set the case on the bed. The door opened, and I turned to watch steam roll out along with Carlos, a towel wrapped around his hips. His gaze immediately found mine. His left eye was almost swollen shut. I lifted the icepack, holding it out to him.
“Thank you, Isabelle.”
I nodded and looked away to grab the salve. The cap didn’t want to unscrew, and the tremble in my hands didn’t help. When I turned back to him, he was in the same spot, both hands at his side, the icepack seemingly forgotten as he watched me.
“I’ll start with your back,” I said, circling him.
Without his gaze on me, I allowed myself to wince at the gashes. As gently as possible, I soothed the salve over the cuts, big and small, then grabbed the bandages and tape to cover everything I’d treated.
After I finished with his back, I moved to the front. He tracked my every move. When he watched me like that, it made me think he didn’t care about the cuts, bruises, and swelling as much as he cared about me standing just inches from him.
I squeezed some more salve onto my finger and gently spread it over a cut above his right nipple. The skin under my fingers quivered.
“Sorry,” I mumbled.
“You have nothing to apologize for.”
“Don’t I? You went for that run because I wouldn’t...I should have—”
“Don’t, Isabelle,” he said, lifting the hand that wasn’t holding the icepack. He gently ran a finger along my cheek. “You spar to release energy. I go for a run. That’s all that was.”
I nodded and eyed the next cut. He let his hand fall to his side and continued to study me.
“You’re still worrying.”
“I think you need stitches,” I said, adding more salve to a particularly deep gash.
“We heal quickly. By tomorrow, the shallow ones will be scars and the deep ones scabbed over.”
When I had all the cuts coated, I grabbed the bandages and tape and started covering everything. He held still through it all. I finished with the bite on his neck.
“I don’t see why anyone would ever want to be bitten.”
“It would have been different if it were you,” he said softly.
He was right. I wouldn’t have tried to remove a chunk of meat with my teeth.
“I’ll see how the others are doing,” I said, moving toward the door so he could dress.
* * * *
Since Carlos’ eye was mostly swollen shut, Winifred drove the car. Carlos again sat in the back with me. I didn’t mind.
He kept the icepack on his eye and leaned against the door for the next four hours. I couldn’t be sure if he slept or not. Winifred must have thought the same because she didn’t try to make conversation.
So, I endured the boredom until my stomach rumbled loudly in the silence.
“We should stop and eat,” Carlos said, making me jump.
“How are you feeling?”
When he lifted his head, I noted he was careful to sit forward before he tried to straighten. I hadn’t considered how it would feel having those cuts pressed against the seat. He set the icepack aside as I studied his face.
“Better,” he said, meeting my gaze.
He didn’t look
better. He looked worse. Purple-black skin painted his swollen eye.
His hand crept across the seat, and he tugged my pinky. My heart turned over at the playful gesture.
“Gabby says that there’s been absolutely no movement since your altercation. We’ll stop at the next place we find.”
The next place turned out to be an ice cream and burger joint with outdoor seating.
“Forget lunch,” I said when I saw the sign. “I’m going for dessert.”
Everyone piled out as soon as we parked. I hung back to hover near Carlos as he eased himself from the seat. Once he was out, he stood there for a moment. There was nothing in his expression or in the air to give away the hesitation, but I was sure he had to be in pain.
“Why don’t you sit, and I’ll get us food,” I said, waving him toward the tables.
He nodded and veered off that direction. I went to stand behind the rest of the group and stared at the board. A gust of wind blew past, and I shivered, recalling Ethan’s comment about getting me a jacket. So much had happened since then, and the need for a jacket as we traveled further north had completely slipped my mind. I wrapped my arms around myself and studied the options on the board. They had ten different kinds of burgers, including a half-pound burger. I heard Emmitt tell the boy at the register he’d cover the order. Since everyone else was still deciding, I stepped up.
“Can I get two of the half-pound deluxe burgers? And can you add another patty to one of them?”
“Sure,” the boy said.
Behind me, I heard a happy noise from Jim.
“Anything to drink?” the boy asked.
I frowned trying to remember all the times Carlos had sat next to me during a meal. I couldn’t recall what beverage he’d ordered.
“Two colas, whatever you have.”
The boy nodded, and I moved away. Did Carlos like soda? Turning, I walked back to the tables where he sat waiting.
“What kind of soda do you drink?”
“A cola is fine,” he said.
I moved to sit across from him, but he stopped me.
“Come sit next to me. Please.”
It took a moment to untangle my half-completed bench mount on the picnic table. Then, I walked around and joined him on his side. Heat radiated from him, warming my right side.
“So, what’s your favorite, though?” I asked, continuing my train of thought.
“I prefer tea over soda and water over tea.”
He liked water. And I’d ordered him a soda.
“Sorry.”
He reached over and wrapped his hand around mine.
“Thank you for ordering for me, Isabelle. The burger sounds delicious.”
My insides went hot then cold, flustering me. I carefully extracted my hand. Well, at least I’d gotten part of the order right.
“What about ice cream? What flavors do you like?” I asked.
“My favorite is butter pecan. What about yours?”
“Anything vanilla with chocolate and caramel mixed in.”
The rest of the group started to come back from the window. Gabby and Clay were first and sat down across from us.
“You look tired,” I said to Gabby.
She just gave me a weak smile. I glanced at Clay. His attention was on Gabby. So I wasn’t the only one thinking she looked like she needed a nap?
“How much is she sleeping, big guy?”
“Not enough,” he said without looking at me.
“Gabby, you need to start sleeping. You won’t do us any good if you pass out when we need you most. They aren’t moving, right?” She nodded. “I don’t think they’re going to. Blake’s waiting for us.”
She sighed. “I just don’t want anything to happen again.”
“Again?”
“Ethan...”
My heart ached. “That wasn’t your fault. It was Blake’s and his men. I’ve put the blame where it belongs. You should too.”
Her gaze flicked to Carlos.
“And Carlos is a big idiot. He knows we need to use the buddy system now...don’t you, Carlos?” I said, turning to give him a look.
“Yes, ma’am.”
I turned back to Gabby. “Are you more tired or hungry?”
“Tired.”
“Then, check one last time and go take a nap in the car.”
“That’s what I’ve been telling her,” Charlene said, joining us.
“We’ll be fine,” Sam said.
Gabby looked at Clay, and a small smile tugged at his beard. I looked at Carlos’ clean jaw in comparison. It had a hint of shadow to it. I liked it that way.
I caught that he was watching me study him and quickly distracted myself by watching Emmitt and Michelle pay the bill. The boy said he’d bring out the food as soon as he had it ready.
Another gust of wind brushed over us, and I shivered despite my warm right side.
“I’ll be right back,” Carlos said.
It was hard for me to watch him rise to his feet. He didn’t have his normal graceful moves.
“Here are the sodas,” Michelle said, distracting me from my observation.
She and Emmitt each held a tray. I half-stood and took one of the trays from her. We sorted through the different flavors until everyone had what they’d ordered. When I sat back down, I twisted to look for Carlos. He was just shutting the trunk of the car. He had something in his hands. I stood again and went to see if he needed help. As I got closer, I saw he had a sweater.
He held it out to me.
“It’ll keep you warm.”
He was beat up and probably hurting all over and he’d thought of me? Swallowing hard, I reached for what he offered.
The soft knit of a neatly folded brown sweater warmed my hands. I shook it out and grinned. It was huge. I looked up at him and eyed his shoulders and chest. I was so used to facing bigger opponents I never really realized just how big Carlos was. I put the sweater over my head, and the bottom of it fell to just below my butt.
I held out my arms and laughed at the drooping sleeves that covered my fingertips.
“This is great,” I said. “How does it look?”
“Perfect.”
I glanced up at him and caught a fleeting look in his eyes. Yearning. My heart skipped a beat in response.
“Come on,” I said.
He followed me to the tables. Gabby and Clay were missing, and I was glad she’d decided to nap. Jim somehow had an order of fries and was devouring it, a handful at a time. The Elders sat together talking about the route we’d take since Gabby was napping instead of navigating. There was nothing to do but sit and wait for the food. And with Carlos’ sweater covering me, I didn’t mind the wait or the cooler weather.
Not only did the sweater keep me warm, it wrapped me in Carlos’ unique smell. It wasn’t something I’d committed to memory, but I recognized it nonetheless. It tickled my stomach and made it hard to breathe without blushing.
“Better?” he asked as we sat.
“Yes. Thank you.”
It only took a few more minutes for the boy to carry out the first tray of food. We ate quickly, then got back into the cars.
Fifteen
New York wasn’t what I’d expected; it was annoying. Irritation, impatience, and indifference surrounded me. And that was just on one of the main arteries leading into the city. I rolled my shoulders and shifted in my seat.
“Are you all right?” Carlos asked.
“I’m getting the itch to hit someone. So yeah, I’m good.”
“We’ll be to the apartments soon,” Winifred said from the front seat.
I looked out the window at the traffic crawling around us and doubted it. So, I leaned my head back against the seat and closed my eyes.
It took almost an hour before the car turned off. By then, my skin tingled with what I’d absorbed. The indifference would have been cool if that was all I had. But the irritation and impatience infected me, too. It wasn’t just the energy but also the moods seeping in
to me. It was like the slow PMS build up again. What took three months to accumulate back home, only took an hour in New York.
Pushing the door open, I thrust myself from the car and looked around at the parking garage.
Bethi was just opening her door and eyed me up and down.
“Not good, huh?”
“No.”
“I thought you’d have this problem. You and Carlos should go take a walk in an alley or something. I’m sure you’ll be able to find someone willing to help you.”
I cracked my scabbed knuckles and glanced at Carlos, who was watching me over the roof of the car. After almost twenty-four hours, his eye was no longer swollen shut, but the discoloration remained.
“If you come with me, no fighting.”
He nodded.
“We’ll be back in a few,” I said to everyone and no one as I strode toward the parking garage exit. The man by the door nodded to Carlos as we left.
Outside, the cold air should have chilled me. It was a testament to what I contained that it didn’t. I breathed deeply of the metallic tang of exhaust and lengthened my stride until I jogged. Very few people paid us any attention. As the blocks melted away, the buildings took on a less polished appearance. I ducked into the first alley I found and slowed to a walk.
My breath puffed out, and I strained to listen as I walked from one end of the alley to the other. No one disturbed us. Stepping out onto the street, I looked for the next alley. It took twenty minutes to find what I wanted. Or, rather, for what I wanted to find me.
Two men stepped out of the shadows. Both had their hands in their pockets. Aggression oozed from their pores.
“Cash,” the one said.
“Sure, I’ll take some,” I said with a grin.
I shifted my weight as I struck out with a kick to the man’s knee. He surprised me by blocking with a downward thrust. We both pulled back and eyed each other. Meanwhile, his sidekick had moved nervously to the mouth of the alley. That was when I realized I was alone.
Crap. How had I lost Carlos? I needed to move this along so I could find the big guy.
“Why do you need the cash?” I asked.
Ethan would have shaken his head, but he would have understood. I needed to know I wasn’t kicking some down-on-his-luck dad who had starving quadruplets at home or something.